The invention relates to a gripping and/or cutting instrument for endoscopic purposes having two limbs, which are pivotable toward one another around an axis and each of which respectively comprises a lug for the fingers of a user, one of the limbs being articulated to a proximal end of a transmission rod and having a support shoulder for a finger of the user on the lug of said limb.
Endoscopic instruments intended to simplify operative treatment on tissue or vessel lesions are known in a large number of variants, particularly when designed as a gripping or cutting instrument. Thus, U.S. Design Pat. No. 274,096 shows an arthroscopic cutting instrument, whose gripping limbs can be opened and closed with the aid of a mechanism operable via the members.
Another instrument of the aforementioned type is known from U.S. Pat. No. 4,890,615. Said instrument is more particularly intended to form sutures within the human body. For this purpose the tissue is clamped between jaws movable relative to one another, whereof one is constructed as a hollow needle through which the suture thread is drawn. The jaws can be opened and closed by a mechanism operable by means of the limbs, a tension being applied to the transmission rod when the jaws are to be closed. The support shoulder provided on the lug of one of the limbs serves as a support for a finger and consequently assists the closing movement of the jaws.